Chapter 522: Illness

"I have said all that needs to be said. I hope Assistant Lin can reflect on this seriously."

Qin Yingxue’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then she said no more.

She turned, pushed open the conference room door, and strode inside.

As the heavy door slowly closed before her eyes, a look of panic appeared on Lin Mu’s face, and every word Qin Yingxue had just spoken echoed incessantly in her mind.

Just yesterday, she had obtained full management authority over the hillside mansion and the private jet, and she was still immersed in the joy of her position as the "biological assistant" being as stable as a rock.

That heart of hers, which had been hanging in the balance, had finally completely relaxed.

She even began to feel that her previous wariness and hostility toward Shen Yu had been a bit petty.

As a result, this "Jin Buxiang" had suddenly popped up and dealt her a heavy blow without any warning.

Although she had always secretly prided herself on being able to call Su Yu and Jin Meixiao "sisters."

Deep down, she knew better than anyone that whether it was real status, family background, or personal capability and means, there was a world of difference between her and them.

Just as Jin Meixiao had said to the beautician, she was the "Empress."

This statement didn't feel out of place at all when it came from her, and they had never questioned or refuted it.

Judging from the current situation, it was highly likely that Jin Meixiao was at odds with Su Yu.

Now, because she had grown closer to Su Yu and Mo Xiangwan, Jin Meixiao clearly had strong opinions about her.

She had even specifically sent Qin Yingxue to give her a warning, and she had been so enthusiastic toward Shen Yu—who knew if, in the future... Just as her mind was in chaos, a voice sounded from beside her: "Luna, the Kate Trust delegation has arrived, and there is a very important person among them. Simon is in the reception room; you need to go there as well."

Steven, the company’s Director of Investor Relations, was walking quickly toward her.

Lin Mu snapped back to reality, forcibly suppressed the fear and unease in her heart, and squeezed out a stiff smile: "Okay, I'll go over immediately."

She took a deep breath and walked quickly forward.

Steven walked beside her, whispering the backgrounds of the Kate Trust delegation members.

Soon, in the VIP reception room, Lin Mu saw the team of six.

They were all white, and each possessed a powerful aura. As a world-class top financial institution, the members of the Kate Trust delegation were basically experienced industry elites, carrying an inherent, intimidating presence.

After some pleasantries, Lin Mu led them toward the large conference room.

After taking just a few steps, she saw an incredibly familiar figure approaching.

Tang Zong was walking this way with Investment Vice President Wang Jiajun and others.

As their eyes met, Lin Mu’s lips twitched, and she nearly burst into tears on the spot.

She screamed in her mind: "Tang Zong, save me!"

But the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down.

She simply quickened her pace, arrived at his side, and introduced both parties with an elegant and professional demeanor, striving to play her role as an assistant well.

She was a smart person; she knew that in this war from the "harem," once she complained to Tang Zong and dragged him into the fray to back her up, the nature of things would change.

It would be tantamount to openly declaring war on Jin Meixiao, and she would thoroughly offend that "Empress."

She didn't dare to gamble on whether she could still remain safely by his side after that.

In the current situation, she, Little Emperor Mu, could only endure and find a way to seek a glimmer of survival between "Jin Buxiang" and "Su the Heavenly Emperor."

Inside the massive conference room, the atmosphere was solemn and grave.

On one side of the long conference table sat the Rongliu Capital team, and on the other were the representatives from the Tang Jin Family Office and Kate Trust. The main content of the meeting was: a review and final confirmation of the fund establishment process, and a report on internal coordination preparations.

Shen Yu sat in a lower position, a laptop in front of her, her eyes bright, her posture straight.

A flush of excitement colored her face.

At this moment, she finally felt that she had achieved a part of her ultimate life goal.

Located on the 38th floor of the International Financial Center, opposite her were executives from the Tang Jin Family Office and Kate Trust, representing the highest level of capital power in the world.

And now, she was sitting here, as a member of the core team, participating in this top-tier closed-door meeting involving the "10-billion-dollar Alpha Mother Fund."

She didn't know much about Qin Yingxue’s background, but the name of the chief representative of Kate Trust, Marcus Leonard, was like thunder to her ears.

Among the top five major shareholders of the P&G Group, where she had previously worked, was Kate Trust.

And this Mr. Marcus had once visited their company headquarters; at that time, the entire group had received reports and notifications about his visit.

This man was the Managing Director of Kate Trust’s Strategic Investment Department, a senior top-tier banker, an absolute bigwig.

And yet, at this moment, this bigwig was not at all arrogant or distant as she had imagined; instead, he showed extraordinary enthusiasm and politeness toward Tang Zong and Rongliu Capital.

The team he brought included top legal and compliance heads, financial and tax architects, and inter-institutional relationship coordinators—this entire elite team would remain at Rongliu Capital for the time being to form a special support group, standing by at all times.

All of this made her feel a sense of unreal, dreamlike dizziness.

"Based on this, we suggest establishing linked risk control centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York to ensure 24/7 global market monitoring..." Marcus’s voice continued.

Shen Yu’s fingertips danced rapidly across the keyboard, clearly recording every key point.

The meeting agenda gradually deepened from macro strategy to execution details.

Rongliu Capital’s Investment Vice President Vincent Wong reported in detail on the due diligence progress of the first batch of proposed investment projects.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the tense and efficient discussion.

Shen Yu felt that her brain had never operated at such high speed; every piece of information that entered her ears was like a puzzle piece, slowly constructing a magnificent blueprint she had never seen before.

4:30 PM.

The meeting drew to a close.

Tang Zong stood up, his gaze sweeping steadily across the room as he delivered his concluding remarks.

As his voice fell, a burst of restrained yet enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

The tense atmosphere finally eased.

Marcus Leonard was the first to stand, smiling as he extended his hand to Tang Zong: "I am very much looking forward to our upcoming cooperation; I believe this will be a pioneering move that rewrites the industry landscape."

"It certainly will be, Mr. Leonard." Tang Zong shook his hand firmly.

Qin Yingxue also stood up, symbolically shaking hands with Tang Zong.

Her gaze seemed to fall on Shen Yu inadvertently, and she praised her casually: "Tang Zong, your new assistant is very excellent. Her supplementary insights on several cross-border M&A cases during the meeting just now were very precise. With her here, I believe our subsequent coordination work will be even smoother."

Beside her, Marcus Leonard’s eyes flickered; he immediately caught the signal and chimed in: "Yes, Miss Shirley indeed demonstrated extremely high professional quality; it is very impressive."

Shen Yu’s expression froze for a second, and then she tried her best to show calmness and humility: "Qin Zong, Mr. Leonard, you are both too kind. I will definitely go all out to ensure the coordination work is foolproof."

But inside, she was already overwhelmed by a massive joy, like a volcanic eruption!

The weight of these words was far beyond ordinary pleasantries and praise.

It came from the representative of the Tang Jin Family Office, in front of the chief representative of Kate Trust and all the executives of Rongliu Capital.

She immediately noticed something keenly.

All around, whether it was the headquarters executives of Rongliu Capital or the other representatives of the two major institutions, the looks directed at her changed subtly.

There was an extra layer of genuine scrutiny, recognition, and even a hint of respect.

It was precisely these words that gave her a place and a name of her own at this top-tier power table!

Since the early days of her entrepreneurship, she had encountered too many cold shoulders, mockery, criticism, and insults.

For Shen Yu, this respect was hard-won.

The affection in her heart for Qin Yingxue reached its peak in an instant.

Tang Zong wore a gentle and approving smile, his gaze turning to Shen Yu: "Shirley is indeed a rare talent."

Lin Mu stood beside Tang Zong, feeling only a chill in her heart, her face turning deathly pale.

The thing she feared most had happened after all.

She knew Shen Yu’s personality best; she would never let any opportunity slip by.

Now that she had Qin Yingxue’s favor, she might even attract the attention of Director Jin.

Would she be squeezed out because of this?

Thinking of this, a fear she had never felt before instantly gripped her heart.

Lin Mu stood there blankly, feeling her hands and feet go cold, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She felt she had encountered the greatest crisis of her life.

Mo Xiangwan’s sudden invitation, the enthusiastic closeness of popular stars like Bei Yuwei, the consultant title from the LVMH Group—these seemingly heaven-sent favors and easily accessible resources had never come for free.

Heaven have mercy, ever since she, Little Xue, received the "Hermès First Snow," she had always prided herself on being in the "Director Jin" faction.

She had been single-mindedly wanting to follow the other party to grow bigger and stronger and create brilliance together.

Who would have thought that she would accidentally fall into a trap and passively stand on Su Yu’s side.

The key is... you guys are fighting like gods, and nobody told me in advance!

I am even more wronged than Dou E!

Opposite her, Qin Yingxue’s gaze swept over Lin Mu calmly.

This "exceptionally high-profile" Assistant Lin really needed to be warned.

In fact, from the very beginning, she hadn't taken this woman seriously at all. When she first entered her field of vision, it was merely as supplementary information while investigating Zhao Yaqian, an insignificant background prop.

Later, when Lin Mu leaped to become the committee assistant of Juxing Huijin, she initiated a detailed background check on her.

The investigation results were lackluster.

A standard "fake socialite," vain, high-profile, with a background so ordinary it was almost barren, and a personality full of unstable factors like eagerness for quick success and a penchant for speculation.

Yet, it was precisely such a person who became Tang Zong’s "personal assistant" and even began to take over some of Director Jin’s past responsibilities.

Qin Yingxue knew deeply that it was precisely because Director Jin saw through her personality that she tolerated her existence.

She even wanted to "stimulate" her through differential treatment in material things, making her obediently keep to her place.

But who could have imagined that Lin Mu would actually start mingling with Su Yu and Mo Xiangwan’s people, and recently even took over the operational rights of Tang Zong’s Bombardier Global 7500.

Many of her current behaviors were no longer just personal vanity, but had begun to carry the potential risk of representing and influencing Tang Zong’s decisions.

Especially with the upcoming Tang Jin Manor.

Since the manor was named "Tang Jin," its mistress could only, and must, be Director Jin.

If she wasn't warned now, this Assistant Lin would likely go completely wild, misinterpreting things and thinking she could really enter the inner sanctum.

Coupled with her personality of not knowing the gravity of things, once she was used by people on Su Yu’s side, it would be very easy to make wrong judgments at critical moments, bringing huge trouble to the entire system.

Then, Qin Yingxue’s gaze turned to Shen Yu on the other side, and a faint smile curled at the corner of her mouth, imperceptible to others.

It was time to introduce some real competition for Lin Mu, to let her understand that her position could be replaced at any time.

And this Shen Yu was a very suitable candidate.

Ambitious, capable, and more importantly, she was a "fan" of Director Jin.

And she had a "silly" best friend, Xu Qing.

[What a lucky girl!]

Qin Yingxue couldn't help but sigh inwardly, while at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy.

Because this opportunity was simply too precious.

The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed one after another.

Lin Mu returned to her office with somewhat unsteady steps, closed the door, and threw herself heavily into the soft leather chair.

Outside the window was the brilliant Victoria Harbour, but she had no mood to appreciate it at this moment.

Her mind was full of "Jin Buxiang" and Qin Yingxue’s cold eyes.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

Her phone vibrated on the desk; it was a notification for a new email.

The sender was [Kate Private Banking Division].

Lin Mu froze, clicked on the email, and a beautifully formatted PDF file with detailed data came into view.

It was the monthly statement for her co-branded credit black card.

From the time this card was activated until now, exactly one month had passed.

On the statement, every single transaction was clearly and accurately listed—the specific time, location, merchant name, and transaction amount were all clear at a glance, without a single omission.

What made her heart jump even more was that at the end of the statement, there was an intelligently generated consumption analysis chart.

On the chart, consumption was divided into several major categories: "Business Travel," "Team Building," "Gift Purchasing," and—: "Personal Items."

That pie-chart section marked in bright red, representing "Personal Items," occupied nearly 70% of the entire circle.

"Ah!" Lin Mu let out a low cry, subconsciously shivering, feeling a chill run down her back.

It was as if a pair of eyes was coldly watching her every move through this statement.

She felt as if red fur was about to grow on her body.

"In the future... in the future, I won't use it recklessly anymore, okay!" Lin Mu rubbed her hot, delicate face with both hands, feeling both aggrieved and fearful.

She was used to living a "poor" life; suddenly obtaining such an unlimited top-tier artifact, coupled with Tang Zong’s special indulgence toward her—he almost never interfered.

If she could really hold back, she wouldn't be Lin Mu.

Didn't you see the ads on Douyin and Xiaohongshu were still being taken!

Thinking of her social media accounts, Lin Mu trembled again.

She opened Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Video after video, meticulously filmed and edited, flashed across the screen.

Five-star hotel vlogs, first-class flight experiences, a wall of Hermès unboxings, top-tier socialite-style afternoon tea...

Her gaze struggled over those videos for a long time.

In the end, she pouted aggrievedly, and her eyes lowered.

This content had already caused clear disgust from Director Jin.

If she continued to go her own way, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, Qin Yingxue was right; as Tang Zong’s assistant, she really couldn't continue to be such a high-profile "wealth-flaunting influencer."

But just give up the account she had painstakingly managed?

Those hard-won followers, the traffic that could bring huge satisfaction, and that glamorous vanity... Lin Mu leaned back in her chair, two little people fighting fiercely in her mind.

After a long time, she let out a long breath, as if she had made up her mind.

Give up? No, transform!

She, Little Xue, must pull herself together!

Since the current "socialite wealth-flaunting" route wasn't suitable, then change the track! Just take the... internet new-rich investor, financial knowledge-sharing female blogger route that was also very popular online recently!

This identity could satisfy her vanity for an "elite persona" while perfectly fitting her current job at Rongliu Capital.

Perhaps, she could even take this opportunity to really discover some good early-stage investment projects and report them to Tang Zong, making him look at her with new eyes!

Besides, wasn't she studying for an MBA at Imperial College? Wasn't this ready-made, top-tier material and background?

She could completely abandon those flashy "wealth-flaunting" elements and instead increase the professional attributes of a "financial elite."

The current Rongliu Capital was a world-class private equity institution.

Any inadvertent reveal of her background would highlight her status and position.

This was also a more high-end way of "showing off."

Thinking of this, Lin Mu’s heart calmed down a little, but she was still a bit scared.

"Ding-dong—"

The WeChat notification sound rang, and a message popped up.

[Tang Zong: "Luna, help me book a train ticket to Yangcheng for Thursday morning, and a hotel. For the specific itinerary, communicate with Wen Ruan’s assistant; it’s about the investment matters for Zhi Lian Future, which I mentioned to you before."]

[Tang Zong: "Wang Dandan, 1322—"]

Lin Mu replied quickly: "Okay, received!"

Then she directly dialed Wang Dandan’s phone, using a gentle and professional tone to quickly confirm all necessary information.

She created a special task folder named "GZ-231102" in her work memo.

Immediately after, she switched to the travel app and hotel booking system, her fingers flying as she quickly locked in the best schedule and room type.

She also gave clear instructions to the black card service team, booking a private car and security.

The entire process was smooth and flowing; in just ten minutes, all core matters had been settled.

She then organized it into a concise itinerary memo and sent it to Tang Zong.

Highly tense and in a state of combat readiness, Lin Mu’s emotions were high, and her potential was fully stimulated.

Her eyes reignited with fighting spirit.

Chairman’s office.

Seeing the memo sent by Lin Mu, Tang Zong was stunned and replied with a "surprised" emoji.

Little Xue: "(。·-）Serving Tang Zong!"

The two fought with emojis for a while, and Tang Zong put down his phone.

He picked up the magazine on the table, looked at the photo on it, and a smile appeared on his face.

During this period, the big sister hadn't been idle either; her partner cultivation task progress was very smooth.

Not only did she accept an exclusive interview with "Fortune" magazine, but she also obtained a monthly commentary seat in the "Digital Marketing" column.

She could be considered famous in the industry.

The magazine in his hand was one that Wen Ruan had specifically asked her assistant to send from Yancheng.

It contained the full text of her interview, as well as several photos that were breathtakingly beautiful.

It had to be said, under the nourishment of the system props.

Wen Ruan’s current state was getting better and better.

In the photos, she was full of charm, elegant and alluring, her eyes containing both the laziness and enchantment of a mature woman and the confidence and composure of a business elite.

Every smile was like mellow red wine, exuding a fragrance that made one intoxicated.

Looking at the radiant big sister in the photo, Tang Zong smiled knowingly.

He would be able to see her in Yangcheng soon.

At that time, while savoring the flavor of Yangcheng, it would also be time to properly comfort this increasingly charming big sister.

Her task [3. Showcasing Talent], it seemed, would also be completed very soon.

I wonder what kind of surprise can be opened from this [Special Prop Pack *1].

After carefully flipping through the magazine several times.

Tang Zong stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the busy and magnificent city beneath his feet.

His thoughts, however, drifted uncontrollably to another city.

Zhang Yan’s figure appeared in his mind.

This desk-mate and friend from junior high school had originally been forgotten in a corner of his memory.

But because of the quiet messages left one by one on that dormant QQ account, she had become increasingly vivid, profound, and even carried warmth... Tang Zong exhaled lightly, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

As for Zhang Yan, to say he had any profound feelings for her would be unrealistic.

After all, his entire youth, all his palpitations and pursuits, had almost all been given to Liu Qingning.

But her silent messages for over ten years, the figure that appeared vaguely on the edge of his memory time and time again, had indeed given him a great impact.

It was a shock of being gently watched by time, a purity that spanned long years without asking for a response.

The "Tang Zong" in her heart was likely the image she had pieced together and beautified bit by bit in countless lonely days and nights, a phantom completely different from the real him.

However, Zhang Yan was also an introverted, sensitive, and insecure girl.

This was also the reason why he had been hesitating whether to go see her, whether to disturb her.

After a long time.

He picked up his phone and dialed Zheng Qiudong’s number.

"Doo, doo, doo—"

"Hello, Old Zheng."

"Yeah, it's fine, everything is going very smoothly."

"I want you to help me check on someone."

"Zhang Yan, working as a copy editor at a book marketing company in Yangcheng, 26 years old this year, a 2021 graduate of Yancheng Agricultural University, previously worked at Gaosi Education in the Imperial Capital—"

"Yeah, okay, bye."

He hung up the phone.

Tang Zong gripped his phone and shook his head lightly.

No matter what, even if he didn't disturb her, he definitely had to help her.

October 31, 2023, Tuesday.

8:00 PM.

The night in Yangcheng had long since fallen, and it was drizzling outside the window, combining the bustle of the old city with the humid air into a unique tranquility.

"Knock, knock-knock."

A knock on the door sounded abruptly, neither light nor heavy, carrying a tentative hesitation.

Zhang Yan was startled; who could it be at this time?

She went to the door and leaned toward the peephole to look outside.

Under the dim yellow light of the hallway, a familiar yet somewhat blurry figure made her heart tighten.

She hurriedly pulled the door open.

"Mom, why are you here?"

"I—I was passing by, so I came up to see you."

Zhou Hui stood at the door, holding an umbrella, her body soaked by the rain.

She was carrying a plastic bag containing fruit, her expression somewhat awkward, her eyes carrying undisguised exhaustion.

She was wearing a coat that was slightly dated but clean, her hair simply twisted into a bun at the back of her head, revealing a somewhat weathered face.

Zhang Yan pursed her lips, didn't ask much, and just silently stepped aside to let her mother in.

"Have you eaten, A-Yan?" Zhou Hui looked at Zhang Yan, a flash of heartache and guilt in her eyes.

"I ate, tomato and egg noodles. How about you?"

"I ate too."

Zhou Hui sat on the small sofa, placed the fruit bag on the coffee table, and folded her hands somewhat helplessly on her knees.

Orange curiously poked its head out, sizing up this strange visitor, a low purr sounding in its throat.

Seeing the suddenly appearing cat, Zhou Hui was stunned.

Zhang Yan hurriedly picked up the cat and whispered: "This is a stray cat I picked up, named Orange."

"Oh, oh." Zhou Hui nodded, didn't say much, and just pushed the fruit bag toward the middle of the coffee table: "I bought some dragon fruit that you like."

"Thank you."

The air became quiet, with only the sound of rain outside the window and Orange’s light breathing.

Between mother and daughter, a silence filled with both closeness and distance permeated.

Zhang Yan lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking Orange’s soft fur, her gaze occasionally sneaking a glance at her mother.

Looking at her mother’s graying temples and face crisscrossed with gullies.

Her eyes turned a bit red, and she hurriedly lowered her head again, afraid of being seen by her mother.

She had been in Yangcheng for so long, but in fact, she hadn't seen her mother many times.

One reason was the distance and busy work, and the other was that her half-sister was very repulsed by her existence.

She actually understood; her mother had her own new family, and her appearance was, in itself, a disturbance to that family.

Since her second year of high school, her mother had sent living expenses every month without fail, which made her life much easier and improved her treatment at her aunt’s house.

When she got into university, her mother even secretly ran to Jingxian and stuffed a thick five thousand yuan into her hand.

Her coming to Yangcheng was largely due to a wish accumulated over many years, wanting to confirm with her own eyes whether her mother was doing well here and whether she was suffering.

The reality was that it was indeed quite hard.

Currently, she was doing cleaning in an office building, with a salary of around 4000.

Coupled with the two children from Uncle Chen’s side, she had to take care of three children in total, living a tight life and being especially tired.

"Is your work going smoothly lately?" Zhou Hui finally broke the silence, her tone carrying cautious concern.

"It's quite good, the colleagues are very enthusiastic, and the leaders also value me."

"That's good, that's good..." Zhou Hui nodded and began to ask questions with concern intermittently.

Twenty minutes later.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

A violent, irrepressible cough erupted from deep in Zhou Hui’s throat.

She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, her body shaking violently from the effort, coughing until her face turned red.

Zhang Yan immediately stood up and gently patted her mother’s back: "Mom, what's wrong?"

Only then did she notice that her mother seemed to have lost too much weight since they last met, her whole person having shrunk a size.

"No—it's nothing!" Zhou Hui hurriedly waved her hand, finally stopping the cough with great difficulty: "It's just an old ailment, seasonal bronchitis."

As she spoke, she struggled to stand up: "It's getting late, I—I should go back."

"I'll see you downstairs." Zhang Yan said, reaching for the umbrella.

"No need, no need!" Zhou Hui walked quickly to the door, pulled it open, and then, as if remembering something, turned around.

Under the dim light, she looked at her daughter, opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

She just stepped forward and hugged Zhang Yan clumsily but tightly.

This hug came so suddenly that Zhang Yan froze, standing there blankly, at a loss.

In her memory, this was the first time her mother had taken the initiative to hug her since she came to Yangcheng.

Her mother’s body was very thin; she could feel the outline of her bones through her clothes, but the embrace was surprisingly warm.

Then, she felt that her mother’s abdomen was vaguely bulging, as if it were swollen.

"Are you sick?" she blurted out, her voice carrying a panic she hadn't even noticed herself.

"No, it's really nothing, just a bit of bloating lately." Zhou Hui hurriedly let go of her and walked straight out with her umbrella.

"Bang!" The door closed.

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, then ran quickly to the balcony and opened the window; the cold rain instantly hit her face.

She leaned on the window, watching the exit downstairs.

After waiting for a long while, her mother finally came out of the unit entrance.

As she walked, she started coughing violently again.

The old umbrella above her head shook along with her, like a candle flame in the rainy night that could go out at any moment.

Zhang Yan’s eyes instantly turned red, and her vision became blurred.

Zhang Yan’s eyes instantly turned red, and her vision became blurred.